Some circuits may use power converters to convert (e.g., boost or buck) an input voltage or current from a power source to a regulated output voltage or current for powering a component, a circuit, or other electrical device. Switch-based power converters may use one or more switches and signal modulation techniques to regulate an output. Stray inductance is a parasitic effect associated with a power converter. Stray inductance can be caused by wiring of the power converter, connections of the power converter, the geometric arrangement of the electrical components of the power converter, the length of a current path of the power converter, the location of decoupling capacitors of the power converter, etc.). A change in a current level in a current path of a power converter can lead to a parasitic voltage pulse over the parasitic or stray inductance. The amplitude of the parasitic voltage pulse may be defined by the size of the stray inductance and the gradient of the current over time (di/dt). This parasitic voltage pulse adds to the normal operating voltage and the sum of both may exceed the tolerated (e.g., rated) voltage of a switch and may lead to destruction of the switch. Furthermore, the parasitic voltage pulse may introduce electromagnetic interference (EMI) based noise into the rest of the power converter and associated system and/or corrupt measurements or general power converter and/or system behavior. For example, parasitic effects and stray inductance can cause over-current, over-voltage, or other types of failures at the one or more switches of a power converter, particularly when a switch transitions between operating in an on-state and an off-state of the switch (e.g., as a switch turns-on or turns-off).
Some power converters may include characteristics or features for limiting parasitic effects and stray inductance. Although parasitic effects and stray inductance can be limited and reduced, some parasitic effects and stray inductance will inevitably be present. Additionally, some power converters may use clamping elements fixed across one or more components of a power converter to protect the components from being damaged by potential or actual over-current, over-voltage, or other failure conditions that may or are occurring during a failure mode of the power converter being induced by parasitic effects and stray inductance. However, using fixed clamping elements may reduce the operating voltage of the power converter and/or decrease the overall efficiency of the power converter system.